Patient messaging has become more common across health systems, but few use it in a way that truly supports better health outcomes. Northwestern Medicine’s Smart Outreach for Better Health is taking patient communication a step further by using automation to identify specific populations and send personalized clinically relevant messages. Our host Myesha Williams and Northwestern’s Program Manager Dharmesh Patel share how this initiative bridges care gaps, boosts follow up rates and helps patients stay engaged in their own care.

Guest speaker:

Dharamesh Patel

Host:

Show notes:

[00:56] – Overview of the Better Health initiative and how patient messaging was deployed

[01:53] – Collaboration between data and quality leaders that launched automated patient outreach

[03:17] – Implementing a systemwide strategy to enhance outreach and care coordination

[04:19] – Timing messages to reach patients when they’re most likely to respond

[06:32] – Role of patient and family advisors in driving success and credibility

[07:40] – How the team increased follow-through rates, engaging 13% of patients

[09:12] – Tackling challenges and leveraging EMR analyst expertise

[09:54] – Addressing time constraints as a key project barrier

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Pharmacy driven medication history programs are essential for accurate transitions of care and patient safety, especially in rural and resource-limited settings. Jenny Slavens, from IU Health Arnett shares how her team built a 24/7 regional program that provides medication history support for their community hospital and several critical access facilities. She discusses the shift from a nurse-led to a pharmacy technician-driven model, the operational challenges of scaling services across multiple sites, and the decision to use phone-based interviews to streamline workflows.

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Host: 

Show notes:

[00:52] – Jenny outlines the structure of the medication history team at IU Health Arnett and how the program operates across facilities

[02:10] – Discussion of coverage for critical access hospitals and how the team manages varying hours across sites

[02:53] – The evolution from a nurse-led process to a pharmacy-driven model for medication history documentation

[04:08] – Why the team shifted from using web-based technology to phone-based medication histories for efficiency and safety

[05:20] – How bidirectional communication between pharmacy staff and physicians is maintained through the electronic medical record system

[07:03] – Establishing the goal of completing 80% of medication histories within four hours of admission to support timely care decisions

[08:55] – How the newly added Tipton facility improved from 10% to 72% completion of medication histories

[10:56] – Strategies for balancing staff workload across inpatient, surgical, and emergency admissions

[14:22] – Demonstrating the value of the medication history process and creatively using FTE staffing to improve coverage and efficiency

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Preference card management plays a critical role in improving accuracy, reducing costs, and driving efficiency across surgical services. Host LaTammy Marks, Senior Performance Improvement Program Director at Vizient, sits down with Carol Zelenkowski, System Operations Manager for Surgical Services at Main Line Health, to discuss their journey toward optimizing over 20,000 preference cards. Carol shares how her team used data to uncover cost variations, build surgeon buy-in, and achieve reduction in card volume. She also reflects on lessons learned and how these improvements are now expanding into other specialties, offering valuable insights for health systems nationwide.

Guest speaker:

Carol Zelenkowski, BSN, RN, CNOR

Host:

Show notes:

[01:01] – Main Line Health’s starting point and challenges with preference cards before joining the Vizient collaborative

[01:50] – Why Main Line Health chose to participate in the Vizient collaborative

[02:51] – How the team decided which preference cards to prioritize for review and optimization

[03:24] – Key insights uncovered in the data, including cost saving and variation trends

[04:33] – Gaining surgeon buy-in by presenting accurate preference card data

[05:35] – The measurable savings achieved and the positive impact on Main Line Health’s surgical services

[06:52] – Expanding preference card optimization to other specialties and the future of this work.

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Unlocking savings through preference card management

Transform your perioperative supply chain

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Quality and clinical outcomes improve when healthcare systems are built on strong and cohesive quality structures. Dr. Matthew McCambridge, Chief Quality Officer at Lehigh Valley Health Network, joins host Amber Hanser to explore findings from a Vizient benchmarking survey that reveals the positive impact of system quality executives on clinical performance. He shares practical strategies for aligning governance and organizational priorities highlighting how leading through influence can strengthen both clinical excellence and financial stability.

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AI is advancing rapidly in the healthcare space, raising important questions about how it will be used responsibly and effectively. Host Courtney Furrow White is joined by Sarah Pollet and Julia Bongiorno from UCSF to explore the evolving role of AI in clinical environments. Together, they break down the development of UCSF’s IMPACC framework, a platform designed to evaluate and guide enterprise AI implementation. The conversation dives into what it takes to make AI safe, reliable, and trustworthy, not only for patients, but for the frontline staff who rely on these tools.

Guest speakers:

Julia Bongiorno, PMP, MSHC

Sarah Pollet, MPH

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Mortality is often viewed as a key indicator of the quality of care in a healthcare organization, and something that most organizations are working to improve upon.

Through Vizient's work with national organizations all working to improve mortality, key lessons learned have emerged that can help organizations improve mortality within their facilities. Shannon Hale Senior PI Director of Performance Improvement Programs at Vizient joins host Nicole Spatafora, AVP, Performance Improvement, Vizient, to discuss mortality improvement.

Guest:

Show Notes:

[00:47 – 02:48] Why it is so important that healthcare facilities look at mortality

[02:49 – 04:24] Getting C-Suite buy in

[04:25 – 07:36] How organizations can get their frontline engaged

[07:37 – 08:58] What happens if you don't have engagement at the C-suite level or frontline level

[08:59 – 10:55] Sustaining change

[10:56 – 12:15] PI Mortality future plans

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Value analysis empowers health systems to make strategic, evidence-based decisions to optimize patient outcomes and reduce costs. Host LaTammy Marks and guest Nicole Schmidt talk about the power of value analysis in healthcare. Nicole shares how her team built a structured process that emphasizes stakeholder engagement, data integration, and continuous improvement at the University of Kansas Health System.

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Patient immobility can lead to serious complications such as muscle loss, blood clots, depression and loss of independence. However, without proper training and support, many healthcare workers feel it is unsafe to mobilize patients. Host Laura Hoffman is joined by Nancy McGahn, enterprise safety mobility manager at Intermountain Health, to discuss "Mobility is Medicine." They explore how the Safe Mobility Program integrates fall prevention, safe patient handling, and mobility strategies to improve outcomes. 

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Hospital mergers and acquisitions can be both transformative and complex, requiring careful alignment and integration of systems. In this episode, host Thomas Sauls speaks with Ed Moore, President of UMass Memorial Harrington Hospital, and Eric Alper, Chief Quality and Clinical Informatics Officer at UMass Memorial Health, about the successful acquisition of Harrington Hospital. They share insights into the integration process, from transitioning to a unified electronic health record system to enhancing financial and quality performance while preserving organizational culture and community-focused care.

Guest speakers:

Eric Alper MD

Host:

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Workplace violence in ambulatory care settings presents unique challenges due to open access, isolated locations and limited security resources. Jennifer Rodgers, Chief Nursing Officer at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, speaks to our host, Maha Siddiqui, about effective strategies for preventing and managing risks. Jennifer shares her experience developing key interventions, including AI-driven communication tools and her role supporting both staff and patients. 

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Host:

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Jennifer Rodgers: [email protected]

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